Conservation Tools

Contact Information

Debra Wolf Goldstein
Conservation Matters, LLC
215-247-3105
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7201 Sherman St
Philadelphia, PA  19119

Background

Services Provided

Legal and policy consulting with specialization in land conservation.

Bio

Debra Wolf Goldstein, Esq., is president of Conservation Matters, LLC, a law firm providing legal, policy, and strategic planning services to municipalities, landowners, and organizations in the land conservation field. Debra began her legal career as an attorney with Wolf Block in their litigation, real estate, and environmental departments. She served as Regional Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, overseeing park, recreation, and natural areas grants for southeastern Pennsylvania. She also served as General Counsel to the Heritage Conservancy, assisting with municipal funding initiatives and with the preservation of thousands of acres of woodlands, stream corridors, and agricultural lands. Debra currently chairs the Land Use Committee of Philadelphia’s newly formed Commission on Parks and Recreation, having previously served on the Fairmount Park Commission as vice president and Mayor Michael Nutter’s designee. She has written numerous scholarly and popular publications on open space and recreational liability issues; created an Internet website explaining the “how-to’s” of land protection; and has taught courses for state and national audiences relating to conservation easement enforcement, appraisals, record keeping, and conflicts of interest. Debra holds a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated with a B.A. from Brown University. Publications: Public Dedication of Land and Fees-in-Lieu for Parks and Recreation: A Guide to Using Section 503(11) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code http://conservationtools.org/library/general/show/253 A Guide to Pennsylvania’s New Conservation and Preservation Easements Act, The Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly, October 2001 (Vol. LXXII, No. 4). Using Conservation Easements to Preserve Open Space http://conservationtools.org/library/general/show/9

Areas of Expertise

Conservation Transaction Attorney

References

Terry Mushovic, Neighborhood Gardens Association, (215) 988-8797, Log in to see email
Jim Engel, Tinicum Conservancy, (610) 294-9069, Log in to see email

Guide Listings

Public Dedication of Land and Fees-in-Lieu for Parks and Recreation
Goldstein authored Public Dedication of Land and Fees-in-Lieu for Parks and Recreation: A Guide to Using Section 503(11) of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

Conservation Easement
Goldstein represents both landowners and holders in the preparation of easements.

Model Conservation Easement
Advisor for the PA Conservation Easement & Commentary. Author of A Guide to PA’s New Conservation and Preservation Easements Act, The PA Bar Assn Qtly, Oct 2001 (Vol. LXXII, No. 4).

Reducing Liability Associated with Public Access
Goldstein authored PALTA’s Recreational Use of Land Water Act guide.

Recreational Use of Land and Water Act
Goldstein authored this guide.

Conservation and Preservation Easements Act
Goldstein authored “A Guide to Pennsylvania’s New Conservation and Preservation Easements Act.”

Model Legal Documents
Goldstein provided critical thinking in the creation of the model conservation easement.

Library Items

Pennsylvania's Recreational Use of Land and Water Act
A two-page review of the liability protections provided by the Act and court decisions interpreting the Act.

Using Conservation Easements to Preserve Open Space: A Guide for PA
43 pages.